Fire extinguishing composition



w` l.. WEDGER v|a:r AL 1,807,456

FIRE EXTINGUISHING COMPOSITION May 26, 1931.

Filed March 24, 1950 i l i *l a v aumento/as,

Patented May 26, 1931 l`UNTTED l STATES PATENT WALTER `LIIBBY WEDGER, F BELMONT, AND JOHN WILEY EDMANDS, 0F NEWTON HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNIVIEN TS, T0 CENTRAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS FIRE EXTINGUISHING coMPosrTIoN Application filed March 24, 1930. Serial No. 438,507.

bine a fire extinguishing agent and a heat producing agent in a suitable container.

' Another object of the present invention is to produce a fire extinguisher container or tube that contains a combined fire extinguishing agent and .a fire or heatproducing agent which releases the fire extinguishing gases of the composition while at the same time maintaining the necessary heat independent of a iire separate from the said container such for instance as a replace, a furnace fire or even a tire in a chimney.

Another object of the invention is to combine a re extinguishing agent and a iire producing agent both of them contained within a tubular container that itself containsmeans for igniting the contents of said tubular container whereby the said ignited tubular con- 4 tainer and the composition contained can be lighted independently of any other means, the said lighting means igniting the fire producingelement of the composition thus producingthe heat necessary for releasing the fire extinguishingv gases of the composition,

the same being capable of use either in a iire-V place or the communicating chimney or a furnace or the chimney thereof by disconnecting (or not) the pipe of the chimney connected therewith.

A further object of the invention is to combinea-heat or re producing agent that at the same time produces oxygen for maintaining the fire and combining it with an tinguishes heretofore used necessitated a lire independent of the said extinguisher for producing the heat necessary for releasing the iire extinguishing gases, so that the usual well known efforts to extinguish a iire by putting out the fire in the fireplace, chimney, furnace 0r range are all very different from the immediate use as set forth ofthe present invention for extinguishing a fire in the chimney above, which does not require getting to the top of the chimney with the attendant dangers, such as delay and accident.

Other objects and purposes of the resent improvement will appear from the following description. Y,

In the drawings :l

Figure lis a perspective view of a chimney fire extinguisher which embodies the present improvement. Y

Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view of that end of the container-that holds the improved composition.

Figure 3 is a slight modification of Figures 1 and 2..

In carrying out our present improvement we provide an elongated tubular container l that has in one end a suitable wooden handle 2, the .said handle being attached to the vtube inV any desired manner. The handlerhowever may be omitted without affecting the broad' idea of the present invention. TheV said tubular member 1 is made of a suitable length for burning approximately four or ve minutes, which from experience has 'proven to be ample for completely extinguishing the ire'in' the said chimney. `rThe opposite end 3 of this paper tube is turned inward as shown and is provided withl a. suitableopening 4, the purpose of which will be Vpresently specifically explained. This end 3 of the tube isrenolosed by a paper cap 5 that preferably has in one end a wooden plug 6 that closes its upper end.

Surrounding the cap 5 is a paper bonnet or enclosure 7 and between the cap and the bonnet is a bre strip 9 that extends throughout the length of the cap 5 and its lower end 9 extending below the lower end 1'0 of the bonnet. This lower end 10 of the bonnetis pasted to the tube l. Located on the outer end of the plug 6 is a friction lighting composition 11.

Located in the opening 4 is a complementary friction composition 12 that extends beyond the end 3 and has its inner portion communicating with a suitable burning composition 13.

This last described construction Vis the well known construction used in railway signal fusees. Y

Vhen the chimney fire extinguisher is to be used the strip 9 is pulled upward and the end 15 broken away for the purpose of exposing the said complementary friction igniting composition 11. The cap is then twisted so as to break substantially at the point 14. The cap being removed Athe igniting composition 12 of the tube 1 is exposed and then by friction between the compositions 11 and 12 as with an ordinary A safety match the lire extinguisher is ignited 'and the Vsame is ready to be instantly used in the manner hereinafter set forth. v

The combined fire extinguisher and heat n n c v producing composition 16 consists ofthe following ingredients which are preferably, though not necessarily compounded in the following proportions:

Percent Potassium perchlorate 15. 02 Sulphur V l19. l2' Zinc dust 49.14 Ammonium chloride V5. 46 Magnesium carbonate v 2. 74 Potassium bichromate 1. Wood pulp and paraiiine 6.82 The function of these ingredients. islas follows:

The potassium perchlorate is usedas a powerful oxidizing agent, which isvery insensitive to friction or concussion, much more so than potassium chlorate. When this oxidizing agent is combined withs'ulphunas it is here, it generates temperatures in a burning composition approximately from 1900 to 21000 Fahr. thus furnishing heat nec-Y reducing' agent for the oxygen contained in the potassium perchlorate and, in large vexcess of what would be needed as 'a Ireducing agent, for the purpose of generating sulphur dioxide gas, which derives its two atoms of oxygen from the oxygen of the perchlorate and from the air in the chimney. Largo volumes of sulphur dioxide in whichfire cannot burn are thus set free in the chimney.

Zinc 'dust is used in large percentage 4in this chimney lire extinguishing formula. By

virtue of the heat generated by the combustion of potassium perchlorate and sulphur, the Zinc dust is fused to Zinc oxide which is drawn up the chimney by the draft and is deposited as a white or slightly gray, incombustible powder upon the inner surfaces of the chimney flue thereby retarding combustion in the burning sootaiiddepriving it of the necessary oxygen to burn. The specific gravity ofv Zinc oxide is 5.78 to waterl. This heavy salt attaching itself to the accumulation'of sootfin Vthe chimney we find pulls the soot down by its weight and is frequently usedA to clean chimney flues.

Ammonium .chloride when subjected to heat sublimes in partand under extreme'heat is dissociated into its respective gases rainnionia and chlorine or hydrogen chloride. These gases with the sublime'd ammonium chloride are drawn up the chimney by "the draft, the former acting as an extinguishing agent by depriving the burning4 soot ofthe oxygen necessary to maintain fire, and the latter depositing itself upon the inner'surfaces ofthe chim-ney'flue acts as a Afireretardent in 4addition tothat deposited Lby the zinc oxide,fwhercby the'whole exertsfa 4cooling effect on the walls of the flue.

Magnesium carbonate is used in this chimney fusee composition both'as an anti-'acid to correctl any acid generation in the f sulphur uponv long keeping, 'and' also when subjected to heat ,sets forth carbon dioxide gas which "is drawn upthe chiiunn'ey'bythe draft'and y exerts its well` knownrextinguishing in- `i'iuence.

APotassium bichromate is an oxidizer'and it is used in small percentage in 4thisc'oiiiposiltion asfit has'been found 'toreact with the zinc dust, thereby producing a'smoothe'r burning mixture. Wood pulp and 'paraffin is composed'of wood Vtreated with hot paraffinv which "on 'conibi'istion generates carbonY dioxide gas.

This mixtureto'gether with a smallfamo-unt 'fusee,' but it would takeflong'er to vextinguish the fire in theburning soot and sincea fire burning in a chimney for a longtimewould Vheat the bricks thereof'to red-heat,- t'li'e Aammonium chloride is an' iinportantfa'ctoi'l'to prevent the bricks becoming s o ,hot as to communicate `fireV to, the adjacent wood-work.

"Such an omission would be atthe sacrifice of part ofthe extinguishing gasesl produced vby it vand the composition would lose the rapid cooling effect since lammonium salts are endothermic. l

Tl b ll b i ie magnesium car onate cou f, e omitted and still have a usable extinguishing fasce, but lhere again we would 'be losing'part of the extinguishing gases, viz. carbon dioxide. This chemical also has another function, that is to say, regardless of the sulphur used even if at the time of compounding it is neither acid nor alkaline, sulphur gradually generates free sulphuric acid which reacts with the potassium perchlorate robbing it of part of its oxidizing content and thereby diminishing combustion and ultimate heat for the vaporization of the chemicals into gases, but the presence of the magnesium carbonate instantly neutralizes all free acid generation, leaving the perchlorate to exercise its normal function. Magnesium carbonate therefore contributes materially to the'long keeping qualities of the composition and furnishes a valuable extinguishing gas.

The wood pulp, paraffin and paraffin oil might be omitted, but they likewise burn to produce carbon dioxide in large volumes and to act as a dust layer in compounding the composition and to make it more capable of being packed hard in the tube. It also to a large ext-ent acts as an internal waterproofing agent should the device be subjected to extreme dampness. n

The fusee does not require and is never inten ded to be used from the top of the chimney thus requiring firemen to climb over the roofs which is especially difficult` and dangerous in the winter time when chimney fires are so frequent. It isa well known fact that chimney fires constitute the maj or portion of lire loss during the cold season in many localities, and hence the importance of a convenient means for quick extinguishment of chimney fires. When we consider that the greater number of chimney fires takes place in flues connected with open fireplaces and are caused by burning waste paper or other combustible matter in too large quantities, and when we consider that chimney fires are frequently caused bv accumulations of'oil soot in flues connected with oil burning equipment. which does not present in a firebox or fireplace a solid bed of live coals for converting the extinguishing compounds into the fire extinguishing gases, the many advantages of the present improvement can be readily appreciated.

The invention herein set forth and claimed has been and is being successfully used by the fire departments in several of the cities where it has been in all cases reported efficient for quickly extinguishing a chimney lire by the use of one of the extinguishers described and defined in this application.

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fire extinguishing composition consisting of potassium perchlorate, sulphur, zinc dust, the parts combined to simultaneously maintain combustion and generating a sisting of perchlorate, sulphur, zinc dust, am-

monium chloride, magnesium carbonate, p0- tassium bichromate, wood pulp and paraffin, the parts combined for the purpose set forth.

5. A firel extinguishing composition-consisting of potassium perchlorate, sulphur, zinc dust, ammonium chloride, magnesium carbonate, potassium bichromate, wood pulp and paraiine, the ingredients combined in about the proportions herein set forth.

6. A fire extinguishing composition consisting of potassium perchlorate 15.02%, sulphur, 19.12%, zinc dust 49.14%, ammonium chloride 5.46%, magnesium carbonate 2.7 4%,

potassium bichromate 1.70%, and wood pulp and paraiiine 6.82%, combined for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto affix our signatures.

WALTER LIBBY WEDGER. JOHN WILEY EDMANDS. 

